speed, and by april 21st of last year the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff at the time, admiral mike mullen, attended a dress rehearsal with a team of navy s.e.a.l.s at a mock compound they set up in the nevada desert. when did they learn exactly what their mission was and who their target was? >> you have to ask bill mccraven that. they're not idiots. i mean, they knew certainly how critical this was. they knew who they were and who they were working with. >> one week after the rehearsal, the launch window opened up. a favorable forecast and moonless night, essential for an attack by air. they knew it could be months before the next opportunity. on thursday, april 28th the president gathered the small core of planners in the situation room to debate the choices one last time. you had a couple up options, doing nothing, an air-raid with no evidence of after action or proof of death or this. you were against this mission as they launched it, correct? >> as i pointed out early on, there was no consensus. the president got us all down in the situation room, and he said, okay, basically